Source for Scale Space Shuttle ET and SRB Nose Cones?

[JRThro]

John... You have become overly dependant on your gum cam.

And you, sir, are entirely to blame.

 

[Mikus]

I am looking for either balsa or plastic nose cones for a space shuttle model that will have the external tank based on a BT-60 tube and the SRB's based on BT-20 tubes.

Does anyone know of a source for these nose cones?

Ooh I CAN'T WAIT to see this. :clap::clap::clap:

 

[Mikus]

The Doc has set me up with spare parts before, so I'm sure if you emailed him he'd send ya a quote for nosecones...

Whatcha got up yer sleeve?? OL JR

Dude, you can't ask that! It has to be a surprise. :bangpan:

 

[JRThro]

Dude, you can't ask that! It has to be a surprise. :bangpan:

I'm hoping it's a surprise, but I did buy the cones from sandman, so he knows what it is.

 

[Dr.Zooch]

Ooh I CAN'T WAIT to see this. :clap::clap::clap:

Ummmm... I've been selling a T20/T60 tube based shuttle since 2005.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Ummmm... I've been selling a T20/T60 tube based shuttle since 2005.

Yep... Mikus and John Thro saw it fly this summer out at Needville (Zooch shuttle that is)...

I think John is scratchbuilding something entirely different there Doc... and I have a hunch what it is... (there's only SO many things you can do with shuttle SRB and ET nosecones, and there is one DIRECT-LY popular alternative right now that nobody's kitted yet...)

Of course IF someone were to come out with a kit of that alternative DIRECTly, some of us would be first in line to buy one...

Til then I guess folk's will just have to roll their own... OL JR

 

[Dr.Zooch]

Yeah... but I just could not resist a little elbow poink ... In sharp contrast to George's series on flying model shuttles- WOW! Talk about learning a lot of stuff... I learned a ton and I have a degree in the subject!

BTW- to anyone reading- I've met George Gassaway and he is a very helpful and down right good guy.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Yeah... but I just could not resist a little elbow poink ... In sharp contrast to George's series on flying model shuttles- WOW! Talk about learning a lot of stuff... I learned a ton and I have a degree in the subject!

BTW- to anyone reading- I've met George Gassaway and he is a very helpful and down right good guy.

Yep... couldn't resist a little elbow bumping myself... SO how are those Direct Jupiter kits coming anyhow?? (ducks)

Yes, constantly amazed at George's work... haven't had the pleasure of meeting him, but his work is AWESOME!!! OL JR

 

[Dr.Zooch]

Can't comment on the Direct stuff- that would be off-topic

 

[luke strawwalker]

Can't comment on the Direct stuff- that would be off-topic

This ain't the NSF Ares I thread... nobody'd gonna yell at ya for being a 'Direct fanboy' in here...

And if they do... $cr#w 'em... LOL

Later! OL JR

 

[JRThro]

Can't comment on the Direct stuff- that would be off-topic

Yes, and goodness knows nothing at all off-topic has been discussed in this thread so far.


JR is right in that it's not a shuttle that I'm building, but that's as much as I'll say. Except this: It's also not any of the DIRECT variants.
:dark:

Actually, "building" is too strong a word at this time. So far, I'm only getting parts together and gathering dimensional data for the model.

 

[Dr.Zooch]

Well...

I'm actually up to my armpits in catching up on inventory that was depleted while I was sick, and I'm also very busy in any time leftover trying to get the Vanguard Eagle kit out... But I have been poinking around the idea of what I think may be coming... that would be the Ares IV (or Ares V lite), which is a combination between the Ares I and Ares V. A medium heavy lifter for Orion that would keep LC39 and the VAB in active use. This vehicle would resemble the Direct vehicle.

Still working the sketches on this one.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Yes, and goodness knows nothing at all off-topic has been discussed in this thread so far.


JR is right in that it's not a shuttle that I'm building, but that's as much as I'll say. Except this: It's also not any of the DIRECT variants.
:dark:

Actually, "building" is too strong a word at this time. So far, I'm only getting parts together and gathering dimensional data for the model.

Gotcha...

*cough* NSC *cough*

Darn cold weather... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Well...

I'm actually up to my armpits in catching up on inventory that was depleted while I was sick, and I'm also very busy in any time leftover trying to get the Vanguard Eagle kit out... But I have been poinking around the idea of what I think may be coming... that would be the Ares IV (or Ares V lite), which is a combination between the Ares I and Ares V. A medium heavy lifter for Orion that would keep LC39 and the VAB in active use. This vehicle would resemble the Direct vehicle.

Still working the sketches on this one.

Sounds cool... I only go read up on NSF about once every week or two... I stay out of trouble that way... more or less... LOL

Anyway, when the Vanguard Eagle is 'out' I presume it will be on your sales page??

Getting close to time for another order... Dr. Zooch perfects another way to seperate me from my money... (grins)

Later! OL JR

 

[georgegassaway]

Well, this message is a little part of the original thread (source for Shuttle ET & SRB nose cones), and a result of this whole thread.

Back to the future!

I posted before about the 1/110 shuttle stack I made in 1979. 30+ years later, I’m working up another one at 1/110 scale. BT-55 SRB’s. A 3” ET. Well, I did not have any 3” tubing, and did not want to cannibalize a Big Daddy kit, so I am using a 3” mailing tube. Because this is for a test boilerplate, so it does not have to look pretty.

So, about the nose cones....

The SRB noses are vac-formed, using a BT-60 sized wooden mold I made for a 1/87 shuttle boilerplate long ago. Since the cones are straight, the BT-60 mold works OK for BT-55 cones simply by trimming the formed cones shorter.

For the ET nose, again the old 1/87 boilerplate parts were of use. I have a wooden mold Jay Marsh turned, about 3.75” diameter. I had a couple of leftover cones I’d formed from it, using some translucent styrene. But since the ET nose is not a straight cone, the length trimming trick for the SRB noses would not work for this. But, there was a trimming trick in any case. To cut a “pie wedge” gap out of it, to reduce the diameter from 3.75” to 3”. Sort of in the manner that a commercial body tube can have a gap cut out of it, then glued together to make a smaller diameter tube. Except this is somewhat trickier.

The resulting ET nose is not really the right shape, but it will do for a crude test boilerplate. Aft dome, well, no aft dome on this one.

SRB skirts, same trick as the SRB noses, vac-formed from a large straight cone as used for the aft skirts of my 1/72 shuttle, but trimmed at different locations to work for 1/110 scale.

The orbiter? Well, in 1979 it was built up from balsa. For this one, the Guillow’s Foam Orbiter. That orbiter is about 1/116 scale based on fuselage length, or about 1/94 scale based on the oversized wing. So, it works OK for 1/110 scale. And of course, that foam orbiter is what really makes this whole project tick. It has compromises in scale appearance, but it glides nicely, and is not a PITA to assemble as the Estes shuttle was.

Fins will be mostly like the old Estes shuttle.

engine power: D12-3

I plan to fly the boilerplate at the BRB launch next Saturday. Possibly earlier if I can get it done and have some good weather to test fly in.

If the boilerplate goes well enough, then I’ll get some dedicated patterns made up. A proper 3” ET nose for vac-forming, and a dedicated BT-55 SRB nose pattern. Also an aft dome pattern. And of course some 3” tubing instead of a mailing tube. So then I’ll be able to make up some other shuttle models, starting with another boilerplate using all the “new parts”, and using any tweaks the original boilerplate indicated were needed. Then a “pretty” model. The objective is not a detailed SCALE model that flies, but a semi-scale model that FLIES. For FUN! Actually there is second objective, but I’ll mention that later.

Pics:
1 - ET nose from translucent styrene. You can see inside of it, the wedge that was cut out then glued inside as a joiner.
2 - SRB’s. Vac-formed aft skirts and noses.
3 - Laid out parts of the ET & SRB’s, with an unassembled 1/200 shuttle ET/SRB stack for comparison.
4 - Laid out stack with Foam Orbiter laid on top.
5 - 1979 1/110 shuttle stack

- George Gassaway (copyright 2009)

 

[rokitflite]

This is a GREAT idea George!!! I like the size too! Please keep us posted on the progress

 

[Evo666]

I've been wanting to build an external tank and booster for my shuttle that has been retired. Post pics of when you are done building.

 

[JRThro]

Pics:
1 - ET nose from translucent styrene. You can see inside of it, the wedge that was cut out then glued inside as a joiner.
2 - SRB’s. Vac-formed aft skirts and noses.
3 - Laid out parts of the ET & SRB’s, with an unassembled 1/200 shuttle ET/SRB stack for comparison.
4 - Laid out stack with Foam Orbiter laid on top.
5 - 1979 1/110 shuttle stack

Everything looks really good, George.

In pic 3, the 1/200 ET/SRB stack is from BT-60/BT-20 tubes, right?

 

[JRThro]

I've been wanting to build an external tank and booster for my shuttle that has been retired. Post pics of when you are done building.

What size/scale?

 

[georgegassaway]

Everything looks really good, George.

In pic 3, the 1/200 ET/SRB stack is from BT-60/BT-20 tubes, right?

No, the one in that pic is from the Lindberg 1/200 plastic model kit.

As for the 1/110 boilerplate.... I want to wait a bit more but here is a teaser.

- George Gassaway

 

[rokitflite]

No, the one in that pic is from the Lindberg 1/200 plastic model kit.

As for the 1/110 boilerplate.... I want to wait a bit more but here is a teaser.

- George Gassaway

George! That is a perfect picture for you to put on your Christmas cards this year.

 

[MaxQ]

No, the one in that pic is from the Lindberg 1/200 plastic model kit.

As for the 1/110 boilerplate.... I want to wait a bit more but here is a teaser.

- George Gassaway

I heard that it occassionally gets cold in Alabama....

 

[georgegassaway]

OK, have made SIX flights of the 1/110 shuttle boilerplate model.

New thread here with the story (And a video link):
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?p=66425

Update - this is a prototype for a KIT!

- George Gassaway

 

[JRThro]

... it's not a shuttle that I'm building ...
It's also not any of the DIRECT variants.

So today, Christmas Day 2009, I actually started the build, and here's (finally!) the build thread.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?p=67211

 

[Evo666]

What size/scale?

I believe the same scale as you? (bt-60 and bt-20) So I can add my rtf space shuttle for display.